A Dirty Dozen with DAN KINCAID – December 2019

According to a recent press release: “Los Angeles based singer/songwriter/guitarist DAN KINCAID has released the lyric video for his single, “Living in Circles.” Created by Jacob Glover, “Living in Circles” is off of DAN KINCAID’s new album, Persona Non Grata. Persona Non Grata was produced by Christian Eigner (Depeche Mode) and Niko Stoessl. Dan Kincaid is a Los Angeles based singer/songwriter/guitarist with a deep love for all things rock!” We get Dan to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

My latest release Persona Non Grata is an honest look at my life, my thoughts and my dreams. I had the pleasure of working with two great producers and musicians, Christian Eigner (Depeche Mode) and Niko Stoessl. There a lot of Easter eggs on this album. There are bits of lyrics from old projects I’ve been in throughout the years. There’s even a guitar part from one of the first songs I wrote when I first moved to Los Angeles. I wanted to give a few shout outs to the past because if not for those experiences I wouldn’t be where I am now.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Ever since I was a child, I found an escape in music. To just lie back, put my headphones on, and escape into the music was my everyday. My mother used to yell at me because she’d come into my room and find me asleep in my bed with my headphones on. She was afraid I was going to strangle myself with my headphones while I was asleep. My dad had this old guitar and I became enamored with it. I would sit down and pick out the melodies  to my favorite songs on one string. They noticed that I had an ear and decided to get me guitar lessons. The more I played guitar, the more I knew that music was my true calling and the only thing I really wanted to do with my life.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

When I was a kid, it was the Monkees and the Beatles. My family was very Baptist Christian so the only real metal band I could listen to was Stryper. That actually turned out to be just fine. They were amazing songwriters, guitar players, and performers. I started sneaking home Motley Crue and Judas Priest albums in my Stryper cases. My love for metal was born! At the same time, I was listening to Prince and Bowie. The guitar player in me fell in love with Yngwie Malmsteen and Racer X. Then came Gun ‘n’ Roses and Nine Inch Nails. I was a super glam guitar shredder at that point in time and threw my middle finger in the air and said “This is me!”. I have an eclectic and awesome group of influences that I believe have pushed me to be myself above all else. As strange as the mixture maybe, I’m pretty happy with my musical outlook and creative stomping grounds.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

David Bowie, Prince, Motley Crue, Guns ‘n’ Roses, and Nine Inch Nails.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I would have loved to have collaborated with Jim Morrison. He was a free spirit, creatively fearless, and a bit of an enigma. We probably would’ve ended up high in the desert for weeks, but would have been well worth it.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

It’s rock n’ roll, straight from the heart, real and relatable. If you put a confession to music, that would be “Persona Non Grata”. There are heart-wrenching, gritty lyrics and melodies with hypnotic choruses that were created with the singular purpose of portraying the human experience. It’s life, with all of its ups and downs, in musical form. One time, someone compared my vocals to the singer of “The Offspring”. Not sure what to think about that, but I 100% disagree.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Creation is the best part of being a musician. To give life to something that would otherwise would not have been. To be able to express yourself freely on your terms, for better or worse and then present it to the world. It’s a bit of an adrenaline rush.

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Since I’m a solo artist, I will say that I cannot cook, I will definitely be the first to get the drinks, and a one-person singalong is how these songs were written.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

I would have to say it’s when I met Robert Downey, Jr. I was the manager at a local music store when I moved to Los Angeles, and he came in to buy a keyboard. He was probably one of the nicest guys I ever met. One of the requirements of the store was to ask each and every customer if they wanted to be added to the mailing list, so I reluctantly asked him. His reply was “I don’t even know which correctional facility they are sending my mail to at this point in time” (with a laugh). After ringing him up, he turned to me and handed me a $100 bill as a tip. I told him he really didn’t have to do that, but he replied “I know I don’t have to do it, but I want to do it”. He shook my hand and gave me a bro hug.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Unfortunately, my eyesight was not good enough. With today’s technology, maybe I could’ve been. But for now, I’ll have to accept that I’ll never be Maverick.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the course of my career, but I wouldn’t change a single thing. If you’re gonna make a mistake, you gotta fuckin’ own it and learn from it! My mistakes have taught me more than my successes.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – I would’ve loved to have been there for the creation of that album. Bowie was taking so many chances and doing things that had never even been thought of before. For me, that record was a chance to see an artist taking the ultimate risk and truly be himself without a thought about what others would think.

DAN KINCAID LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

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Category: Interviews